STAR : a tool for finding relationships between traits in games

Abstract

In this paper, we introduce a tool to transform tabular data into an interactive network map. Compared to previous visualization tools, ours allows for more customization in terms of datasets, connecting nodes, and appearance. We describe three use scenarios where the tool was effective in helping users accomplish tasks related to activities of an academic working within the field of game studies, such as selecting games based on certain criteria, presenting games and traits, and analyzing a growing dataset of games. STAR (Select Traits and Relationships) has been found to be useful in understanding relational aspects of datasets which are hard to get to without interactive visualizations and extensive customization options.